Simulating a Managed Phaseout of Coal-Fired Power Plants in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Coal-fired power plants in use and planned for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, if not phased out, would add roughly 215 Gt of carbon emissions to the atmosphere between now and 2050. That's more than 40% of the global carbon budget that remains if society is to limit warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. Still, phasing out coal more rapidly presents practical challenges as coal-fired power plants and mines tie tightly to energy security and jobs for countries that depend on it. In this context, countries may prefer an orderly transition away from coal designed to minimize the risk of energy disruption and job losses yet aiming to achieve national climate plans designed to stave off the worst warming. In this report, we simulate potential pathways for a managed phaseout (MPO) of coal power in 15 markets in APAC. We observe that individual markets, by following their most orderly phaseout pathway, could slash nearly three-quarters of the region's combined carbon emissions while minimizing economic and social disruptions from the transition to a clean-energy economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]